Balancers... can someone help me out? please!

[EquestrianFairy]

Agh im loosing my head.

I need a balancer that is ideal for a horse with possible gastric ulcers- so low in starch, no cereals and high in fibre.
The only one i have found is Winergy but it works out excessively expensive and doesnt contain any probiotics of any kind.

Ive rung a few places like Topspec but the balancer is £40 and they do say its not as high in fibre as (for example) winergy.

Im at a loss as its all becoming like goobledegook to me now.

She was on Pink Powder but ive gotten to the point where ive stopped anything that im unsure of.

HELLLLPPPP!

 

[MrsMozart]

When I was looking, the most recommended was Top Spec Balancer.

I've put both Dizzy (stressy DWB) and Grey Mare (stressy IDxTB) on it. So far I'm very impressed with the results . Both look good, have held their condition, coats are looking good, and they've both kept most of their muscle despite not much work over the last three weeks.

To bulk it out, I add Hi Fibre Lite. I want to keep the sugars down in all the horses feeds as they don't need it and sugar sends Grey Mare whappy.

 

[tallyho!]

Well to help you with the gobbledegook, firstly, take a deep breath and don't let these companies bamboozle you with their corporate schpiel.

Now, think about what it is you are trying to balance. Is it is general vitamins or minerals? Is it condition? Could she be getting most of what she needs from her feed anyway?

Then, you start to realise that less is maybe more. Especially for one who has sensitive issues like ulcers.

Is she already on Omeprazole? If so, finish the course first, then feed a high fibre diet only and provide a mineral lick until a rescope has shown that the gut has improved.

A lot of these premixed balancers are pelletised and use binding agents that she may become sensitive to again. Fwiw, winergy are among the best but tbh, if she is holding on to weight, a mineral lick should be all she needs and add vitamins with good quality forage or balanced feeds like pure feeds or winergy or even just alfalfa.

Had a pony with ulcers. Pink powder we found was useful later on but we had to cut a lot of feeds and balancers out.

Good luck. Remember to look past the fancy labels and find out what you actually NEED.

 

[honetpot]

A feed balancer makes up very little of a horses diet, so the amount of starch it would contain is not a lot because you would be feeding very about 2 mugs a day, against all the roughage it will be gettting.
To cut costs you could feed a youngstock balancer at about half the rate recommeneded unless the horse has problems with its kidneys( they excrete the excess protein), D&H Suregrow is about 13.50 a bag.
I am a feed tart and feed any make as long as its cheap or on offer.
http://www.efeed.co.uk/products/horse-feed/balancer These have a good choice and at the moment I'm feeding Spillers.
My advice is not to worry, as long he's getting plenty of fibre and turnout he'll be fine.

 

[EnduroRider]

Pure Feed do a balancer that may be worth looking at ...

 

[Persephone]

Correct me if I am wrong but I think you will find the base to all balancers is wheatfeed, so you are going to have cereals.

Why not scope the horse and find out?

 

[tallyho!]

Have to agree with Persephone

 

[EquestrianFairy]

Correct me if I am wrong but I think you will find the base to all balancers is wheatfeed, so you are going to have cereals.

Why not scope the horse and find out?

i cannot scope her until June as she is on loan currently (its a long story)
My vet advised to treat her as though she has ulcers (she cribs) and at the very least it wont do any harm to her regardless.

I have ordered the winergy conditioner anyway as it seemed the best to try, im just unsure if i need an additional balancer or is PP ok to use?
She basically needs her usual vit/mins and a conditioning mix for her weight as she is a poor doer.

 

[Persephone]

i cannot scope her until June as she is on loan currently (its a long story)
My vet advised to treat her as though she has ulcers (she cribs) and at the very least it wont do any harm to her regardless.

I have ordered the winergy conditioner anyway as it seemed the best to try, im just unsure if i need an additional balancer or is PP ok to use?
She basically needs her usual vit/mins and a conditioning mix for her weight as she is a poor doer.

In that case I would get her some Pro Soothe, that's the best you can do without the Gastroguard. Truly Ad Lib Hay/Haylage and Hi Fi/Alfa A type as a feed. I would try and keep her weight on purely with fibre.

If you are planning on treating this through insurance, as you will have lost 6 months of treatment time though as it will be taken as starting now.

Also make sure you give her a good few handfuls of hay/haylage before exercise as this will keep the acid locked to the base of the stomach. The splashing if you don't do this will make things worse and more sore.

 

[EquestrianFairy]

She's currently on coligone, is that the same as pro soothe?

She has ad lib hay - as much as she wants, whenever she wants it.

 

[Persephone]

http://www.protexin.com/products/pro-soothe-ph/38

^^This one^^